Fun things to enjoy in January: from indoor games to traditional New Year’s pastimes
January, when we welcome the New Year, is the perfect time to enjoy activities that are a little different from the everyday! From traditional New Year’s games like karuta, fukuwarai, and spinning tops to easy, casual fun like charades and plastic-bottle bowling, why not try some seasonal games this time of year? In this article, we’re sharing plenty of ideas for January activities that will put smiles on the faces of family and friends.
Whether it’s games that get you moving indoors despite the cold or ones you can enjoy while connecting with older adults, discover the charm of each activity and make wonderful memories to start the new year.
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Fun activities to enjoy in January: From indoor games to traditional New Year’s pastimes (31–40)
Ohajiki (traditional Japanese coin-flicking game pieces)
Ohajiki are smooth, round pieces that look like hardened water, beautifully colored in red and blue.
Arrange them so they don’t overlap, then flick one with your finger to hit another.
There’s also a fun game called “nakanuki,” where two arranged ohajiki are treated like a soccer goal.
You can stack them in piles, or set them up and topple them like dominoes—there are many ways to play.
Because ohajiki have been enjoyed since long ago, they appeal to people of all ages.
Kagome Kagome
With its mysterious lyrics, Kagome Kagome is a game many people have probably played at least once.
The melody also has a distinctive atmosphere.
You decide the “oni” (it) by rock-paper-scissors or similar, and the person who becomes the oni sits in the center so they can’t see around them.
The others join hands, form a circle around the oni, and walk around while singing.
When the song ends, stop.
Keeping their eyes covered, the oni tries to guess who is standing behind them.
If they guess correctly, they switch roles with that person.
It might help to give hints—like having the person behind the oni make a sound—when the oni is guessing.
rice cake pounding play
These days, fewer households make mochi at home.
However, in Japan it has long been a lucky New Year’s tradition to pound mochi.
You might find children’s centers or community centers holding mochi-pounding events in January.
Mochi pounding has a reputation for being tough to prepare and physically demanding.
So let’s all have fun at home with an easy mochi-pounding craft.
Fold thick paper back and forth to make something like a spring that stretches and contracts with a bounce.
Use bubble wrap to make the mochi and craft a mallet out of styrofoam to complete the set.
When you strike the mochi with the mallet, you can enjoy the feeling of actually pounding mochi.
flutter-flutter
The flip-flap mechanical toy has a nostalgic feel, yet it’s always fascinating and fun no matter how old you are.
How about playing with a handmade flip-flap during New Year’s when everyone gets together? First, cut slightly thick paper—like mat board or cardboard—into a rectangle, then connect the pieces with strips of paper cut into narrow bands.
For each rectangular piece, attach two strips at the top and one at the bottom, then fold each strip over and glue it in place.
Once you learn the pattern, you can make it easily while having fun, so give it a try!
Indoor snow play
These days, even in winter, it’s becoming rarer for snow to fall.
There may even be children who have never seen real snow.
So let’s try a craft you can enjoy indoors that creates the feeling of falling snow.
Prepare an empty tissue box.
Make a slit in the plastic opening of the box.
Attach the box to a cloud-shaped piece of construction paper, and place small torn pieces of paper inside the box.
When you tap the box, the torn paper will fall as if it were snow.
With just a little creativity using familiar items, you can make a winter-themed craft.
Drawing with yarn
In winter, some people make yarn crafts like scarves and small accessories.
It’s also the season when many yarn-made clothes are sold, and yarn is indispensable in the cold months.
For January crafts, using yarn can lead to fun projects.
For example, wrap yarn around a toilet paper roll, secure it, and add color to the yarn.
Then simply roll it over paper like a paint roller to create patterns.
You can also color a single strand of yarn with about two colors and flick the yarn over paper to make dotted or linear patterns.
Adding drawings or stickers on top of the patterned areas expands the range of your creations.
Making a calendar is also recommended.
Playing postman
Some people send New Year’s cards during the New Year, don’t they? Let’s all enjoy a game that’s perfect for January, when we celebrate the New Year, using New Year’s cards as the theme.
Make New Year’s cards with construction paper or thick cardstock.
Create a mailbox, too, by attaching a slot for letters and some red construction paper to a cardboard box.
From here, a game begins that you can especially enjoy when family and relatives gather for the New Year.
Write messages on your handmade New Year’s cards and deliver them to each other yourselves.
From things you don’t usually say to the joy of meeting again after a long time, both children and adults can exchange messages.
The heartfelt exchange of New Year’s cards is sure to create a warm, heartwarming time.
Balloon Basketball
It’s fun to play basketball indoors, isn’t it? For the balls, blow up balloons and prepare plenty of them.
If you put vinyl tape on the surface to create a basketball-like design, it’ll boost the atmosphere.
For the hoop, cut a pool noodle from a 100-yen shop lengthwise in half, bend it into a circle, secure it with masking tape, and attach it to the wall.
You can also adjust the height to suit the level, so once you get used to it, raise the difficulty and enjoy making it more game-like.
Fun indoors! Ice play
@nexus_official5 Makes you look forward to cold days?! We can’t wait for spring either, but try making this on a day when the forecast says it’ll be chilly the next day!#nexus#memorytree nursery schoolKids will love it#IcePlayWinter PlayNursery teacher / Childcare worker#MemoriesTree Nursery School
♬ Escort – MoppySound
“Flower Ice Making” with tissue paper and food coloring is a beautiful winter-only experiment and play activity.
First, place tissue paper in a clear cup, add water and your choice of food coloring or paint, and gently stir.
Depending on the color combinations, you’ll get gorgeous patterns that look just like flower petals.
Set the cups outside to freeze, and you’ll have “flower ice” with color sealed inside clear ice.
Try holding them up to the sunlight or stacking them to create an icy flower garden.
It’s a winter art experience that captivates both kids and adults.
UNO
Many of you probably played this with friends when you were kids.
The rules are simple: the first person to run out of cards wins.
But you have to dodge your opponents’ interference.
It’s a card game that’s best enjoyed with a big group gathered around a kotatsu.
